Module 6: Healthy Practices: Safety and Wellness

What it Means to be a Mandatory Reporter

Page 8

The law makes it very clear: “When any licensed or certified child care provider or their employee has reasonable cause to believe that a child… has suffered abuse or neglect, he or she shall report such incident, or cause a report to be made, to the proper law enforcement agency or to the department as provided in RCW 26.44.040.” This means that when you have reason to suspect that a child is suffering from physical, sexual or emotional abuse, neglect, or exploitation, you must immediately report the circumstances. This report must be made to Child Protective Service’s central intake. Check with your local CPS office for the exact procedures to follow if there is immediate danger to a child. If you know the child is in immediate physical danger or has been harmed and needs immediate medical attention, you must also make a report to local law enforcement.

If the suspected child abuse or neglect involves you or your staff, you must inform your licensor. Once you file a report with CPS you are immune from any civil or criminal liabilities. When you report a case of suspected child abuse, CPS has the right to interview the child in your care and look at any of your files. You can be charged with a gross misdemeanor if you do NOT report a suspected case of child abuse, neglect, or exploitation. So how will you know when you need to report a case of abuse or neglect? Not all acts of abuse involve physical harm to a child. Mental cruelty, threats, and failure to adequately supervise children are also types of abuse and neglect.

If you suspect a child is a victim of abuse or neglect, what are your next steps? You must contact CPS if you even suspect that certain injuries or bruises may not be accidental. You must contact CPS if you see signs of emotional or sexual abuse or physical neglect. Even if you have made a report to CPS about a particular child earlier, you must report each new injury or incident. Do not attempt to interview the child or to manage the situation yourself. Both interviewing and investigating are the responsibility of CPS.

The phone number for CPS should be among the emergency numbers posted by each telephone in your program. In most circumstances you should not inform parents you are making a CPS report. Your parent handbook or posted health policies should inform everyone that you are mandated reporter and that you will report any suspicion of child abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

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